Omnidirectional radio beacon



Dec. 12, 1950 E. N. DINGLEY, JR 2,533,229

OMNIDIRECTIONAL RADIO BEACON Filed June 25, 1947 3 Sheets-$heet 1 FIG.I

77 TRANSMITTER HOUSE RADIATOR p N p 4| 7T 42 RADIATOR a RADIATOR )7 SIN-Z INVENTOR 770082 EDWARD N. DINGLEY JR,

/3 RADIATOR A r am a Dec. 12, 1950 E. N. DINGLEY, JR

OMNIDIRECTIONAL RADIO BEACON 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 25, 1947 was 0mm m Kuhn-1m umdxa maO OOn E9510; EH52 EDWARD N. DINGLEY JR.

Patented Dec. 12, 1950 (Granted under the. act of. March 3, 1883, as

amendedApril. 30, 1928'; 370 0,. G; 757) Claims.

This invention relates to an improved long range omnidirectional. radio beacon system whereby the bearing or azimuth-of the moving body may be determined in relation to the'known location of the beacon.

One-of the objects of the. invention is to provide an improved means for radiating in space an electromagnetic field havinga characteristic which-varies as a known iunction of the azimuth from the radiatingjsource...

Another object of the invention is to provide an improvedmeans. for receiving anddetesting an electromagnetic field which varies as a function of azimuth, andfor utilizing thevariable. characteristic of. the" electromagnetic; field to indicate. the azimuthal. the. receiver from the transmitter or. beacon;

Other: and further objects; of: the invention Will he understood from the following specification and by reference tothe accompanyingdrawings. of which:

Fig; l" is a' plan View of the'transmitting site.

Fig. la' is adiagram illustrating certain phase relationships.

Fig; 2 is a block diagramof thetransmittin equipment.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram. of the receiver-and indicator.

In Fig. 1, the vertical radiators 2' and 3: are situated so that their bases; referred to the horizontal plane, are at equal distances from and in space quadrature to the base of the vertical radiator' I. Although various spacings and spac-- angular relationships may be used, it is preferable to use radiators of equal'height situated as stated above and with radiators 2' and 3' each spaced from radiator I bya distance equal to A2 Watelength= /Z at the assigned trnasrnission frequency; This spacing is equivalent to an electrical phase difference of wradiansor 180 electricaldegrees for: a wave traveling from radiator I to radiators 2 and 3, respectively. For convenience in later: discussion, a line connecting radiators 3 and I' is shown tobear'truenorth.

In Fig. 1, symbol 5 represents the house. or en closure for all of the transmitting equipment shown in Fig. 2; symbol'trepresentsa short vertical receiving antenna situated equidistant from radiators I, 2 and 3 and symbols 6, l and 8 represent buried coaxial transmissionlines which are further depicted in Fig; 2..

The transmitting equipment is arranged so that radiation of the assigned frequency: occurs only fromradiator I during the period T1; only from radiator 2 duringthe period" Taand: only: from radiator 3 during, the period T3, and then the cycle repeats. These periodsmay, within certain limits. be. as long, as desired. In the following specification. the. periods-willbeassigned as follows T1=2-- milliseconds, T2=T3=1 millisecond.

The radiations from. the three antennas are in time phase witheach-other.

Although any desiredradiation frequency may be used in. the practice of' this invention, it is preferable to'use low frequencies to achieve the most useful results atdistance as great. as 1500 to 2000 miles. Frequencies in the bandto 250 kc./s. arepreferred. Inthefollowing description, an. assigned. frequencyof 290 kc./s. will be.- as sumed.

In Fig. 1, let. P- bea pcintat. or near theearths surface sufficiently distant from. radiator I so that lines joining' point Pto radiators i, hand 3 are substantially parallel. In the following, these lines will-beconsideredtobe parallel.

In Fig. 1, let Z be the angle between the line joining point P With-antenna l; and the extended L ne joining antennas i an'd3'. With reference to north; this may betermed the. azimuth angleof point P.

Thesignalsreceived. at point P from the three antennas may be; expressed asfollows:

Where E1, E2, Ea=instantaneous field intensity due to antennas i-, 2, and 3. respectively.

Where K=a constant Where I=current in antenna i or-Z or 3- Where 1 e=base of Naperian logarithms Where W=radiatedfrequency in radians per secand.

Where Z=azimuth of point P Where 1T1 indicates that the value holds during period T1 but at other times the value is zero;

In more simple terms, the field intensity at the point P- is constant regardless of whichradiator is radiating and the phase of the electromagnetic field due to radiator 2, referenced to that previously received from radiator i is:

2=1r sin. Z. (1)

And the phase-of thee-lectromagnetic field due to radiator referred to that previously received from radiator l is:

lhis-will become apparentfrom a study of lawhich is a geometrical representation of the phase relationships between the various electromagnetic fields as the arrive at point P. Point P has been assumed to be so far away that the lines 46, d! and d2 joining point P to radiators I, 2 and 3 respectively are substantially parallel, as shown. By drawing the line 43 at right angles to line it, it is apparent thatv the electromagnetic field from radiator 2 will lead that from radiator I when both fields arrive at point P by an electrical angle 4 2 which is seen, by inspection, to be equal to 1:" sin Z. Similarly, the electromagnetic field from radiator 3 lags the electromagnetic field from radiator I upon arrival at point P by an electrical angle s which, by inspection, equals 7? cos Z.

If point P is 45 wavelengths removed from radiator I, the error in the above expressions will be less than 1 electrical degree. At a frequency of 200 kc./s., 45 wavelengths is approximately 35' nautical miles. At greater distances the error in the above equations is negligible.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the apparatus required at the transmitting station. In this figure, symbol 9 represents a crystal controlled oscillator of conventional design such as is described on page 496 of Radio Engineers Hand book, first edition, by F. E. Terman, published by McGraw-Hill Co. Symbol I represents a keyed amplifier or gate such as is shown in Fig. 4d, page 628 of Terman, supra, except that the-keying or gating voltage is obtained from the multivibrator I5 to be later described. The output of gate I0 is transmitted through transmission line 6 to the frequency doubler power amplifier I I which is located at the base of radiatortower I and is of conventional design. The use of half carrier frequency in the transmission line eliminates feedback therein from the radiated field. The power amplifier II energizes the radiator I during period T1. During periods T2 and T3, gate R2 (symbol I0) blocks the passage of energy to transmission line 6.

In Fig. 2, phase shifters C and D are of conventional design such as is shown in Fig. 56c on page 949 of Terman, supra.

Signals from the crystal oscillator 9 pass through phase shifter C and through gates C1 and C2, which are similar in design to gate R2, through transmission line I to the frequency doubler power amplifier I6 which energizes radiator 2 only during the period T2 for the reason that exciting energy is blocked from transmission line 1 during the period T1 by gate C2 and during the period T3 by gate C1.

Radiator 3 is energized in a similar manner by the frequency doubler power amplifier I'I through the phase shifter D. Its radiation is stoppedduring the period T1 by the gate D2 and during the period T2 by the gate D1.

In Fig. 2, symbol I2 represents an oscillator of conventional design which drives a pulse shaper I3 of conventional design such as is shown in Fig. 34a on'page 514 of Terman, supra. Pulse shaper I3 drives multivibrator I4 at half the oscillator frequency and multivibrator I4 drives the multivibrator I5 at one-quarter the oscillator frequency. In this example the frequency of oscillator I2 is taken as 1000 C. P. S. and the half cycle period of multivibrator I4 is l millisecond and that of multivibrator I5 is 2 milliseconds. The plate of one tube of multivibrator 55 mp plies blocking voltages to gates C2 and D2 during period T1=2 milliseconds and the plate of the other tube of multivibrator I5 supplies blocking voltage to gate R2 during period T2+T3=2 milliseconds. The plate of one tube of multivibrator I4 supplies blocking voltage to gate D1 during the first half of period T1 and during period T2. The plate of the other tube of multivibrator I4 supplies blocking voltage to gate C1 during the second half of period T1 and during period T3. Thus signals will reach transmission line I during period T2 and will reach transmission line 8 during period T3 but those signals are blocked during the period T1 by the action of gates C2 and D2.

In Fig. 2, some of the signal output of oscillator 9 is passed through the frequency doubler I8, the phase shifter E (symbol I8) and to the horizontal deflection plates of cathode ray tube 20. This signal is displayed in space quadrature with the signal collected by antenna l which is equidistant from antennas I, 2 and 3. The frequency doubler 18 consists of a conventional biased vacuum tube circuit in which the plate circuit is tuned to the second harmonic of the input frequency. The phase'shifter E is similar to phase shifters C and D.

The figure displayed on the screen of the oathode ray tube 20 will be a measure of the phase relationships between the electromagnetic fields radiated by radiators I, 2 and 3. If these fields are in time phase, then the voltage of collector 4 will have a fixed phase relationship to the output of phase shifter I9, regardless of which radiator is energized. This phase relationship may be made zero by adjusting phase shifter I9 and the figure displayed on the cathode ray tube 21! will be a straight line as shown under the heading Phase Difference 0 in Figure 55, page 948 of Terman, supra. If the fields of radiators I, 2, and 3 are not in time phase, then the voltage of collector I will have differing phase relationships with the output of phase shifter I9, depending on which radiator is energized. For example, these phase relationships might be 45, and respectively for radiators I, 2, and 3. Since the radiators are energized sequentially, the vision persistence of the eye, and the image persistence of the screen, would make it appear that the cathode ray tube figure comprised three-superimposed figures such as would result from the superpositioning of those figures shown in Figure 55, page 948 of Terman, supra, which are designated respectively as Phase difference, 45, 90, and 135. Under these circumstances, phase shifters C and D may be adjusted to co-phase radiators 2 and 3 with radiator I and phase shifter I 9 may be adjusted to co-phase its output with that of radiator I, whereupon the radiators, when sequentially energized-will produce superimposed straight line figures on the cathode ray tube 20. Under these conditions, any small phase difference between the energy radiated from radiators I, 2, and 3 will be apparent by a tendency of one or more of the apparently superimposed figures to become elliptical and this tendency can be corrected by an adjustment of phase shifters C, D, or I9. A required condition for the preferred mode of operation of this radio beacon is that the fields radiated by radiators I, 2, and 3 shall be in time phase.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram of the equipment to be carried in a moving body, aircraft, or surface vessel by means of which the phase angles 52 and qba may be determined. p2 and p3 respectively are defined as the phase angle of the radiation field received at the point P, where the moving body is situated, from radiators 2 and 3 respectively both of which are measured in relation to the phase. of the radiation received at point P from radiator i.

In Fig. 3, the oscillator 3-2, pulse shapcr 33, multi-vibrators 34 and 35, all gates, and all phase shifters are similar in design to those previously described as utilized in the circuits of Fig; 2. The superheterodyne receiver is. of conventional design such as is described on page 636' of Terman except that the second detector and audio frequency section is omitted and the inter mediate frequency (I. F.) output is passed through gate S to the vertical deflection plates of the cathode ray oscilloscope tube 35.

In Fig. 3, the oscillator 3| is of conventional design. The output signal of-this oscillaton at frequency IF is connected to the horizontal deflection plates of the oscilloscope tube 36 through three parallel channels as follows: 1. Through gate-R1; 2. Through phase shifter A, gate A1 and 8 passes signals continually and locally generated IF signals from oscillator 3! pass through gate R1 only during the period T1 and are blocked by gates A2 and B2 during this period. These IF signals passthrough gates Al and A2 during period T2 and are blocked by gates R1 and B1 during. this period. These 1.. F. signals pass. through gates B1 and B2 during period Ta and are blocked by gates R1 and Ar during this period. Switch SW-! is provided to permit the time periods T1, T2 and T3 to be synchroni ed with the similar transmission periods at the transmitter. When switch SW-l is closed, signals pass from the receiver 38 to the vertical deflection plates of oscilloscope 36 only during the period Tr during which time signals from oscill'ator 3'1 also pass through gate R1 to the horizontal deflection plates of the oscilloscope. Signals from the local oscillator 31 are prevented from reaching the horizontal deflection plates of the oscilloscope 35' during the periods T2 and Ta by the second section of switch SW-l which places a permanent blocking bias on gates A2" and B2.

Under the conditions described above. if the oscillator 32 is not properly phased with the oscillator I 2 at the transmitter, transmitted sig-' nals during portions of transmitter periods T1,

T2 and T: will all be received during receiver period T1 (receiver periods T2 and. T3 having been blanked out by the closing of switch SW-l). Because the signais transmitted dur-' ing these periods are not in phase (at point P), three (or sometimes two) separate superimposed figures will appear on the screen of the oscilloscope 35. two or three of the figures of Fig. 55, page 948 of Terman, supra, were superimposed. If these figures change shape or roll too rapidly. the vernier frequency control on the receiver 35 should be adjusted to make the IF frequency of the receiver 30 more nearly equal to that of oscillater 3!. Next the Vernier frequency control of oscillator 32 should be adjusted until only one fig-- ure such as. any one of thefig-ures of Fig. 55, page 948' of Ter'man, supra, is displayedby the cathode The resultant will appear as if any 5 ray tube. This will occur only when the time periods T1, T2, and T3 at the receiver are exactly synchronized with the corresponding periods at the transmitter.

Under the conditions described above, the switch SW-l' is opened and three superimposed oscilloscope figures will be observed. They will appear as if any three figures of Fig. 55, page 948 of Terman, supra, had been superimposed. Phase shifter A should now be rotated until one of the three figures is exactly superimposed on the one figure which exists when switch SW--l is closed. Next, phase shifter B should be rotated until the remaining figure is exactly superimposed on the other two. Under these conditions, phase shifter A indicates directly the number of electric'al'degrees by which thephase of the radiation from radiator 2 (as received at point P) leads or lags the phase of the radiationfromradiator I. If at all transmitting stations, radiator 2 is due east and 180 electrical degrees distant from. and in time phase with, radiator l, phase shifter A may be calibrated directly in azimuthal degrees with a double scale reading on one scale from 270 through 0 to degrees true bearing and on the other scale from. 270 through 180 to 90 degrees of true bearing. The azimuthal degrees corresponding to electrical degrees are readily computed from Equation 1 derived above. A-ny one position of the phase shifter will indicate two possible bearings.

In a similar manner,. phase shifter B may be calibrated directly in azimuthal degrees with a double scale reading on one scale from 0 through V 90 to 180 degrees of true bearing and on the other scale from 0 through 270 to 180 degrees of true bearing, the azimuthal degrees for the double scale being computed from Equation 2 in this case. Of the two possible bearings indicated by phase shifter A and of the two possible bearings indicated by phase shifter 13, two of these bearings will be identical and represent the true bearings without ambiguity except on bearings 0, 90, 180' and 270 degrees. If, however, the spacings of the radiator towers is standardized at, say, electrical degrees and the phase shifters are calibrated accordingly, there will be no ambiguity whatsoever. In the early discussion herein, a spacing of electrical degrees was used to clarify the description.

Assume that the short period stability of the transmitter frequency and of the frequency of the first oscillator of the receiver 33 is one part per million and that these frequencies always drift in opposite directions, then the frequencies will drift apart 2 cycles per million cycles or 0.4 cycle per second at a carrier frequency of 200 kc./s. Assume that the short period stabiity of oscillator 3! is one part per million or 0.075 cycle per second at an IF frequency of 75 kc./s., and that this frequency always drifts in opposite direction to the drift of the IF frequency of the receiver 30, then the figures on the screen of the oscilloscope will revolve or roll at the rate of 0.475 revolution. per second. The above stated oscillator stabilities are easily achieved and the figures on the screen of the oscilloscope can be easily observed while rolling as rapidly as 0.475 revolution per second. Careful adjust- 1 merit of the frequency control Vernier on the receiver 39 will reduce this roll to much less than this value. If the oscilloso'pe figures roll 0.475 revolution per second=l7l electrical degrees per second, then in the four milliseconds requir'ed for. each complete comparison of phases,

I! the phases will change 0.171 electrical degree. In consequence the error of observation due, to frequency instability will not exceed 0.171 electrical degree.

The rate of change of observed phase with change of azimuth varies between a maximum of one and a minimum of zero electrical degrees per arc degree. However whenever a minimum rate of change is observed from one pair of radiators, the rate of change observed from the other pair is maximum. In consequence the least directional sensitivity on any azimuth will be 0.707 electrical degree of phase shift per arc degree change in azimuth.

The theoretical azimuthal accuracy of this invention can be increased by increasing the radiator spacing in excess of 180 electrical degrees but under such conditions, undesirable azimuthal ambiguities would be encountered.

The use of this invention is not limited to distances between receiver and transmitter in excess of some 3-5 miles. At lesser distances a correction factor is applied to the observed azimuth. to correct for the non-parallelism of the paths between the receiver and the three radiators.

It will, of course, be apparent that the electromagnetic waves radiated by the transmitters need not be in exact synchronism as long as they are in fixed time-phase relationships or isochronism and provided that the particular t'mephase relationship at the point of transmittal is known at the receiving point P.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon or therefor.

What is claimed is:

, l. The method of determining azimuthal bearing at a station comprising the steps of radiating successivelyin sequence from separate points mutually interspaced a fixed fraction of the radiating wavelength the complementary portions, respectively, of a continuous electro-magnetic wave train, comparing the time-phase relationship of said complementary wave portions as received at the station, and translating the variation in time-phase into degrees of azimuthal bearing.

2. The method of determining azimuthal bearing at a station comprising the steps of radiating successively in sequence from separate spaced points of known location successive portions of the electro-magnetic waves from a single oscillater, said portions having synchronous timephase relationships, receiving said waves at said station, producing at the station two local electromagnetic wave trains of the same frequency, one being synchronized with the radiated waves, selecting successive portions of the other local wave train corresponding in time to said radiated portions, employing said selected portions, respectively, in comparing the time-phase relationship of the received waves from said spaced points at the station, and translating the variation in time-phase into degrees of azimutha bearing.

3. The method of determining azimuthal bearing at a station with respect to three points of known location spaced at equal distances from one another and in which two of said points are substantia ly in space quadrature to the other comprising the steps of radiating successively in predetermined sequence from the three points complementary fractions of a single source of electromagnetic waves, said fractions having the same time-phase relationship, comparing the time-phase relationship of the fractions as received at-the station with a locally produced electromagnetic wave train, and translating variations therebetween into degrees of azimuthal bearing.

4. .A system for determining hearing at a point comprising, a central radiator at a known location, two radiators spaced at equal distances and substantially in space quadrature with respect to said central radiator, transmitting equipment for generating radio signals and supplying same to said three radiators in predetermined order for definite successive periods controlled by an oscillator circuit of fixed frequency, means for measuring and adjusting the timephase relationship of the radiated signals, a superheterodyne receiver at said point for the radiated signals, a source of continuous waves having the frequency of the receiver output, oscilloscope display means having a pair I of plates energized by the output of the receiver and a second pair of plates energized by said source of continuous waves, a local oscilltaor adjusted to said fixed frequency, and means controlled by the local oscillator for presenting on said display means the time-phase relationship of received signals from said radiators, respectively, and said source of continuous waves.

5. A system for determining bearing of a station comprising a central radiator of known location, two other radiators spaced equal distance and in space quadrature with respect to the central radiator, transmitting equipment for generating radio signals of a predetermined frequency and furnishing same to the three radiators in predetermined order for definite successive periods, receiving means at said station including a receiver for waves of said predetermined frequency, a source of continuous waves of the same frequency as the output of said receiver, three transmission channes for said continuous waves, gating means limiting passage of the continuous waves to each of the channels, respectively, for periods corresponding to one of said definite successive periods, phase shifters in at least two said channels which are calibrated to indicate the bearing of the station when the phase shifters are adjusted to match the phases of the radio signals received from the radiators.

6. A system for determining bearing of a station comprising, a radiator at a reference loca-- tion, two radiators disposed in quadrature and equidistant from said reference radiator, transmitting equipment energizing the three said radiators in succession from the output of a single fixed frequency oscillatorduring respective complementary fractions of time, means adjusting the time-phases of the radiations from said radiators to coincidence, means at said station for receiving the radiated signals, a local oscillator at the station operating at the output frequency of said receiving means, gating means selecting fractions of the local oscillation corresponding to said complementary fractions of time, respectively, and means comparing the phases of the signals received from the three radiators, respectively, with the phases of the selected fractions of the local oscillation.

7. The system of claim 6 including phase shifting means for each said seected fraction of the local oscillation, and means calibrating in azimuthal degrees the amount of said phase shift required to achieve phase coincidence of local and received signals.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the radiated signals from said radiators are limited in duration by gating circuits individual thereto, said gating circuits being operative in response to multi-vibrator valves controlled from a fixed frequency oscillator independent of said single fixed frequency oscillator.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the gating means at said station is controlled by multivibrator valves controlled from a second fixed frequency oscillator at the station similar to first said valves and oscillator for selection of identical and coincident complementary fractions of time with said gated energization times of the respective radiators.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the receiving means includes a superheterodyne receiver converting the received signals to a beat frequency, said local oscillator at the station operates substantially at said beat frequency, and said frequency comparing means comprises an oscilloscope having a pair of plates energized by the beat frequency and a second pair of plates energized by said selected fractions of the local oscillation.

EDWARD N. DINGLEY, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,144,203 Shanklin Jan. 17, 1939 2,198,113 Holmes Apr. 22, 1940 2,218,907 Donnelly et a1 Oct. 22, 1940 2,403,626 Wolfi et a1. July 9, 1946 2,403,727 Longhren July 9, 1946 2,411,518 Busignies Nov. 26, 1946 2,413,637 Longhren Dec. 31, 1946 2,419,525 Alford Apr. 29, 1947 2,422,100 Hoff June 10, 1947 2,490,394 Williams Dec. 6, 1949 2,502,662 Mitchell et a1 Apr. 4, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 546,000 Germany Feb. 18, 1932 579,346 Great Britain July 31, 1946 

